Spearheading global responsible aquaculture

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has proudly announced that more than 1000 products carrying the ASC logo are now available across 37 countries.

This milestone was reached in just over two years after the ASC logo was introduced.

“Since we launched the logo in April 2012, our partners have worked tirelessly towards making the ASC programme a success in the global seafood market. It is wonderful to see their efforts pay off,” said Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO.

“Most recently, the first ASC certified freshwater trout has been introduced by Migros, Switzerland’s largest retailer. I also look forward to the first ASC labelled shrimp products later in the year. And, it should not be long before the first certified bivalve will be available in the market.

“ASC’s growth is testimony to the dedication of our partners, the farms and companies that choose to participate in the ASC certification and labelling programme. Thanks to their solid commitment and fantastic support, as well as the hard work of our broader stakeholder base we have accomplished more in two years than was ever imagined.”

More ASC certified seafood available worldwide

The three ASC labelled products pushing the number over the thousand mark were Marine Harvest Boulogne’s Carrefour Filets de pangas sans arêtes décongelé 240g farmed by Vinh Hoan, Sainsbury’s lightly dusted basa fillets 265g, and Anova Seafood’s product sold by EDEKA, Pangasius Rückenfilets 250g.

“Edeka is committed to responsible aquaculture and welcomes the growing range of ASC certified seafood. The ASC programme is an important step in transforming the aquaculture sector towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility,“ said Rolf Lange, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications & Public Affairs EDEKA AG.

Hendrik Colpaert, Unit Manager Marketing & Retail Anova Seafood said: “Anova is very pleased with the support that Edeka is giving to the ASC logo. Our colleagues from the Ho Chi Minh office have worked closely with the farmers to get their farms certified. The enthusiasm of a retailer such as Edeka to work with us to develop and introduce this fantastic value-added product has a lot to do with the confidence that the ASC-logo gives everybody within in the supply chain, including the end-consumer.”

According to Ninnes: “It has been hugely encouraging to see our figures increase steadily. The support of major retailers such as Carrefour in Belgium, Sainsbury’s in the United Kingdom and Edeka in Germany’s is of utmost importance in driving the improvements in aquaculture.”      

The majority of the ASC certified fish products are pangaisus with 63 per cent, followed by salmon at 23 per cent, and 14 per cent are tilapia products. This spring, the first ASC certified salmon and pangasius products were launched in Japan, with the number of ASC labelled products in Asia and the rest of the world steadily rising.

Recognising and rewarding responsible aquaculture

The ASC certification programme recognises and rewards responsible farming activities, focusing on environmental conservation and social responsibilities.

Farms that have been certified to the ASC standards can demonstrate that they deliver a cleaner seabed, cleaner water and healthier fish, preserve the diversity of the species and wild population, and follow strict feed requirements while ensuring social responsibility.

ASC labelled seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a responsibly managed fish farm. Chain of custody certification provides seafood buyers and consumers with assurance that products carrying the ASC logo are sourced from a farm that is ASC certified.

To gain chain of custody certification companies must adhere to strict requirements and show proof that they have traceability systems in place to ensure that no product mixing or substitutions occur.

Consumer confidence

The ASC on-pack logo helps shoppers make an informed choice to buy responsibly farmed seafood. The logo reassures them that the fish comes from a farm that limits its impacts on the environment and local communities.

Consumers can actively help the aquaculture industry become more environmentally and socially responsible. By choosing products with the ASC logo they contribute to preserving healthy fish stocks, protecting vulnerable coastal zones and reducing the pressure on wild capture fisheries so that seafood can continue to feed a growing population in the future.